A Reader's Guide to Books and Reviews

Title: A Taste of Torment

Serie: Shadow Hills Academy: Relentless #1

Author: Stacey Trombley

Genre: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Demons, Paranormal, Supernatural, Magical Realism

Date Started: January 5, 2023

Date Finished: January 5, 2023

Status: Finished

Rating: 3.5/5

Sypnosis: A magical prince wants to date me, but there's one big problem.

This prince has claws.

Everyone at Shadow Hills Academy desires the dark and powerful Jarron Blackthorn. But I'm the only one who has seen the terrifying beast beneath his magical façade.

When my sister is murdered, and the case mysteriously dropped, I know where to begin my own investigation-Shadow Hills Academy, an elite school for supernaturals. Technically, I have zero magic, but just enough skills with potions to be accepted. Now I have the means to get close to the most likely culprits-powerful people like the demon prince Jarron.

I was friends with Jarron years ago, before I saw his true form, but I'm still shocked when he reacts to news of my sister's death with a fierce determination for vengeance. He has an insane plan to help me get access to Elite Hall, where the most powerful students reside-by pretending to date me.

Dating a demon was NOT how I expected this year to start, but his plan will work. Hang on the arm of Jarron Blackthorn, the heir of the Under World, and everyone in school will be so desperate for my friendship they'll spill their darkest secrets.

I just have to make sure Jarron never learns he is my number one suspect.

Keep your enemies close, right?

Review: I had seen so many positive things about this book on Book Tok and I loved the premises, but the female lead frustrated me beyond measure.



Our FMC, Candice, has wanted nothing to do with the supernatural world but this changes when her sister is murdered by someone. Candice makes the decision to go to the school her sister was applying for and hopefully find who was behind her murder. The only problem is that she meets her former friend, Jarrod (our MLC), and the two begin a fake dating scheme to give Candace a chance to gain access to the Elite and find the culprit who may have been the downfall of her sister.

But what happens when fake dating and feelings become entangled in this relationship?

Due to a few things, I am on the fence about this book. While I enjoyed the Harry Potter-themed storyline, I was not that thrilled by the feel of Twilight being part of it. Twilight has never been a favorite book of mine and I felt that Candace felt a bit like Bella. I was not thrilled at how she sort of treated Jarrod as if he were her main suspect. She didn't bother really communicating with him and preferred really to treat him as her main suspect. I get it. To her, he is a monster and she cannot see past this. Basically, she uses him for the power he has at this school.

But what I don't understand is why this little quote by a certain character was not the first thought of a suspect:

"I hope, in time, you'll learn that there are many ways to become powerful. If you come to trust me, I can help you achieve your true potential."

I mean, how could you not have figured that out? I suppose Candice was too laser-focused on proving that Jarrod was the murderer that it really did not sink into her head until the very last minute. Seriously, it was nearly the exact same thing written in her sister's diary.

And her "I'm weak" really aggravated me. She could have done a lot of things to make herself stronger. She has a lot of potential and yet all she does is whine about it.



I also felt deeply sorry for Jarrod because I believe he loved Candice since the very beginning. She had accepted things from their world when she was younger, but when he came into his own powers and turned into a demon prince that she turned and ran. If I had been Jarrod when I saw her again, I would have turned my back on her.

If this is a series, I am willing to see what the next book brings. I just hope Candice grows up just a little bit better in the next one.